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Commuter Plane Carrying 19 Crashes in Pennsylvania

Aired May 21, 2000 - 1:54 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Gene Randall in Washington.

A twin-engine commuter airliner crashed about two and a half hours ago near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, about 11 miles away from that city. There were believed to be at least 19 persons aboard that plane when it went down.

On the phone with us now is Joe Thomas, the Lucerne County 911 manager.

Mr. Thomas, what you can tell us about what happened?

JOE THOMAS, LUCERNE COUNTY 911 MANAGER: Yes, sir, at around 11:26 a.m. this morning, I have a report of a two-engine plane having engine problems heading toward the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport with 19 aboard. We had found out an hour or so ago that it was off -- off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is Interstate 476, approximately 85 mile marker -- or 85 mile mile-marker, about a mile and a half into the woods.

Unconfirmed on anything else so far. That's all we got. We don't know where it was coming from or how many -- if there was any more than 19 on board.

RANDALL: Can you tell us which airline it was?

THOMAS: No, sir, I can't. The 911 center, all we get is the report of the problems that they're having, and we try to get all the appropriate personnel out to the scene.

RANDALL: So, Mr. Thomas, what's going on at the scene at the moment?

THOMAS: Right now we have the different ambulance, EMS's crews, police department, sheriff's departments are all there trying to get the scene so for anybody else from the FCC to get in there, I presume. I don't know exactly what's happening on the scene right now.

RANDALL: And to recap, a twin-engine plane, a commuter plane, crashed about two and a half hours ago near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Further details as they become available.

I'm Gene Randall in Washington.

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